Narrating stories through subtle illustrations

After finishing her architecture course, Vaishali Srinivasan didn’t choose the conventional path and decided to approach the field differently. She went ahead and started a multi-disciplinary venture called 85:15 that curates graphic designs and architecture projects. “Though I studied architecture, I started doing commissioned graphic design and branding work for various brands.

I am someone who doesn’t rush to get a final product. Though my process is different, so far, it has worked well for my clients and their brands. I think the mantra is to create unhurried research-based narratives. Unlike earlier, clients are now presenting their brands in a different way. After two years of working in an architecture firm, I started my own firm,” says Vaishali Srinivasan.

The youngster tells us that she finds inspiration from everything around her. “It can be something I saw during my travel or maybe, an incident I heard during a conversation. As a creative person, you need to see things from a different perspective and understand what a brand is trying to convey. Detailed client conversations are crucial and that’s what helps me develop designs,” she quips.

When quizzed about the brand name 85:15, she replies, “It is fuelled from my love for filter coffee. My mother used to take me to this particular coffee powder kadai and ask for a specific 85:15 blend. So specific to the point that she has to see them mixing the beans and chicory in the correct proportion, putting it in the machine and pack it fresh, in smaller quantities so the aroma stays every time she opens a new pack. I have grown up listening to “Anna, 4 packets, 250 grams each, 85:15”.